The history and culture of the Zulu are probably several best-documented anthropological studies. However, one aspect that continues to be very intriguing is that the economics of Zulu marriages.
Contracting a Zulu marriage involves what’s called ilobolo or fulfilling the economic expectations of bridal wealth. What a person gives to the family of his bride is termed lobola. In times before money was a part of the social fabric, a woman’s lobola is sometimes the gift of cattle from her husband-to-be. Cattle are a measure of wealth for a Zulu or his family.
It is, however, important to notice that cows aren’t sacred animals in Zulu culture as they’re among the Hindu. what’s the case here is that they expect men to possess such a lot of cattle to spice up their chances of marrying wives. A father can support his son too by giving him the chance to rear cows until the son has enough to marry the lady of his dreams.
In effect, wealth and influence among the patrilineal and patriarchal Zulu are inextricably connected to the flexibility to possess wives. Power is seen within the material fulfillment of this social necessity. Thus, the essentiality of ilobolo is specified as a man’s capacity as a provider for the house is measured by what proportion of cattle he can give his bride at the marriage.
But what a person gives is additionally determined by the position of his bide. Prior to colonization, there have been no specific amounts of cattle expected of a person, although the Zulu knew what to expect for privileged women as against underprivileged women. However, in 1869, the people were forced to formalize the ilobolo practice regarding they often give what proportion cattle to whom.
This was because of a decree by the Natal colonial secretary of native affairs, Theophilus Shepstone. For brides who are associated with royalty, 15 cattle, and for the daughter of chiefs, 20 cattle. Naturally, this deepened class consciousness among the Zulu. the boys educated in Western ways, and thus had better economic access in the colonial African nation, stuck to the colonial edict, and got privileged women as wives.
But among Zulu “traditionalists” the colonial rule was decried. There has however been an understanding till the modern world that ilobolo can be available in the shape of money or other things.
